Method of stitching button-holes



(No Model.)

E. FLETCHER.

" METHOD OF ST-ITQHING BUTTON HOLES. No. 389,840; Patented Sept. 18,1888.

M6596. Maw/177.

' a 1mm u. PETERS. mmum nr. via-mum". ac.

UN TED STATES,

'PAIENT OFFICE.

. ELMER FLETCHER, OF NEEDHAM, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE W. HILLS,OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF STITCHING BUTTON=HOLE.S.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No- 389,840, datedSeptember 18, 1888.

Application filed March 1, 1888. Serial No. 265 831. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ELMER FLETCHER, of Needham, county of Norfolk, andState of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement; in theMethod ofManufacturing Button-Holes, of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specificatlon, likeletters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its object the production of a bntton-hole in anovel manner, it having an enlarged eye at its outer end, the stitchesforming the apex of the'eye being superimposed or accumulated at thatpoint,

u thus strengthening that part of the stitching at and about the centrallarged eye.

Prior to my invention button-holes stitched on machinery have beenprovided at their outer ends with enlarged round or nearly round eyes,the stitching being, however, radial to the center of the eye, eitherthe clamp holding the material to be stitched or the stitching mechanismbeing given a semi-rotation while stitching the eye. Straightbutton-holes are commonly barred, as it is called, by stitchmg acrosstheend of the button-hole; but prior to my invention I am not aware thata button-hole having an enlarged rounded eye has been stayed at thecentral part of the enlarged eye or at the extremity of the button hole,where the greatest strain falls.

My invention consists in the herein described method of producing abutton-hole i. 6., clamping the material in a clamp, and while soclamped stitching the same with two threads back and forth to form aseries of zigzag stitches, the thread at the under side of the materialco-operating with a thread at the upper side thereof; moving the clampedmaterial to cause the stitching for one straight side of thebutton-hole, and when near the outer end of the button-hole moving thesaid mate rial so as to form substantially one-half of an enlarged eye;then stitching the material across the center line of the button-holeand eye at substantially a right angle to the length of the button-hole,thus superimposing the stitches to strengthen the central part of theenlarged eye; then again moving the material in such path as to enablethe stitching to form part of the rounded or enthe second half of theenlarged eye, and there after'stitching the second straight side of thebutton-hole and joining the stitching for both straight sides at thesmall end of the buttonhole, as will be described.

Figure 1 is an enlarged top or plan view showing a piece of materialwith a button-hole worked in it according to my invention, the stitchesbeing shown widely separated to avoid confusion of the drawings; Fig. 2,an under side view of Fig. 1,0n a smaller scale; and Fig. 3 is a diagramshowing a piece of material punctured, as it will be, by the usual eyepointed needle employed for the upper thread when stitching thebutton-hole, the scale being the same as in Fig. 2.

The material a, of cloth, leather, or other textile, will in practice beclamped between the upper and lower members of a cloth-clampsubstantially such as shown in my application, Serial No. 265,469, filedFebruary 27, 1888, the said clamp forming part of a button-holeattachment adapted to be applied to a sewingmachine of usualconstruction and employing an eye-pointed needle and shuttle orunderthread carriersuch, for instance, as the Household, Domestic,Singer, &c.

In my invention as herein contained the tension at the needle-thread bis supposed to be in excess of that put upon the shuttle-thread 0, sothat the needle-thread in the finished button-hole is left at the edgeof the button-hole at the face side of the material, (see Fig. 1,) andas a result thereof the shuttle-thread is drawn up through the materialat each ascent of the needle by the needle-thread, and the latter holdsclosely together the loops of under thread. I

The slit for the button-hole is cut in the material after the stitchinghas been finished. In illustration of my invention, the material aheldin a suitable clamp, preferably such as referred to-is placed under aneye-pointed needle, with which cooperates a complementulunder-thread-carrying device, such as referred to. The needle descendsthrough the material at the inner or small end of the button-hole-as at1, then at 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, &c.at substantially equal distances apart,until, as herein shown, the needle arrives at about the point 37,wherethe enlargement for the eye is to be started, the stitching thereafterfollowing in a curved line to form one'half of the enlargement for theeye at the outer end of the button-hole, the movement of the material inthe direction of the length of the button-hole being gradually shorteneduntil the needle reaches the center of the enlarged end of thebutton-hole, at which time the length of the stitch is practicallynothing. The needle having reached the central part of the said eye,some stitches are taken across the center and end of the eye tostrengthen it, and then the stitching for the opposite side of the eyeis performed, the stitches being gradually increased in length untilthey arrive at the straight side of the button -hole, where the stitchesare again of uniform length, while the second straight side is beingstitched. This gradual shortening and superimposing of the stitches atthe extremity of thelarge part ofthe eye of the button-hole effects amost important result-via, the button-hole is strengthened at its pointof greatest strain and wear.

By referring to the drawings it will be no ticed that the stitches fromthe point 31 to the point 47, indicating punctures of the needle,decrease in length. \Vhen the needle arrives at the point 43, the feedmotion of the material is practically suspended and the needle at itsnext descent penetrates the material at 44, substantially at the centerline of the buttonhole; but at its next descent the needle penetratesthe material at the point 45 at the righthand side of the said center;next the needle descends at 46 across the center line of thebutton-hole; then back again across the center line, descending at 47;then again across the center line, descending at 48; then again back tothe point 49, which is substantially at the center of the button-hole,as well as the centerof the eye; and then the needle descends,penetrating the material at 50, 51, &e., the stitch being graduallylengthened until the needle arrives at the point 63, after which thelength of the stitches made along the left-hand side of the button-hole,or its second side, is substantially the same until the needle arrivesat the point 90, when the length of stitch is somewhat shortened, thestitches 9L and 92 being taken practically into the holes made by thefirst and second punctures of the needle.

In the diagram, Fig. 3, it will be noticed that the depthstitches fromthe right hand of the side of the eye to and across the center of theeye to the left are longeras from 43 to 44,

and 45 to 46, and 47 to 48, and 49 to 50-than the return stitches are tothe right-as 44 to 45, and 4G to 47, and 48 to 49. The depth-stitches,or the stitches from the inner to the outer side of the button-hole, aresubstantially the same in length, except as they are modified, due tothe elliptical movement which is given to the material.

My invention lies altogether in the method of finishing the outer orenlarged end of the button-hole.

I have herein shown a button-hole requiring ninety-two stitches; but itwill be obvious that the buttonh ole may have more or less stitches,according to its length and the length ofstitch, the stitch in practicebeing quite short, so that the stitching completely covers the materialthereunder.

It is also obvious that the length of the eye or enlarged portion of theouter end of the button-hole may be more or less, according to taste.

I do not desire to limit my invention to putting the most tension on theneedle-thread, and should the most tension be put on the shuttlethreadit would draw the needle-thread, so that it, lying on the face of thematerial,would show, as does the shuttlethread in Fig. 2.

I claim That improvement in the art or method of stitching buttonholeswhich includes clamping the material and stitching the same to form onestraight side for the button-hole, then an enlarged eye portion for theouter end of the button-hole, and a second straight portion for thesecond or opposite side of the button-hole, the stitches forming the endof the said enlarged eye in the line of the center of the buttonholebeing shortened in the direction of the length of the button-hole andsuperimposed or crossed back and forth, substantially as described, inthe line of the slit in the button-hole, thereby accumulating the threaddirectly at the edge of the button-hole at the extremity of the saidenlarged eye and strengthening the button-hole where the strain thereinis to be the greatest, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I havesigned my name to this specification inthepresence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ELMER- FLETCHER.

\Vitnesses:

G. \V. GREGORY, B. DEWAR.

